


The Grace of Hera

by revolutionarygold



Series: My Mother's Tales [2]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: F/M, Multi, mythology reimagining, ties to the illiad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 15:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6664924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revolutionarygold/pseuds/revolutionarygold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So she spoke, and Hypnos was pleased and spoke to her in answer: "Come then! Swear it to me on Styx's ineluctable water. With one hand take hold of the prospering earth, with the other take hold of the shining salt sea, so that all the undergods who gather about Kronos may be witnesses to us. Swear that you will give me one of the younger Kharites, Pasithea, the one whom all my days I have longed for."<br/>He spoke, nor failed to persuade the goddess Hera of the white arms, and she swore as he commanded, and called by their names on all those gods who live beneath the Pit, and who are called Titanes. (Iliad 14.231)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Grace of Hera

“Mother!”

The winter months were Persephone’s favorite out of the year; with the Trojan War waging above them, the Underworld was getting slightly overloaded, but that didn’t change her joy at being home.  
“Hypnos, how good of you to join us!”

She caught her second child in a tight hug, and even though the winged god of sleep was now a full head taller than his mother, he still tucked his head into her shoulder.  
“You are shedding feathers, lovely,” Persephone laughed, ruffling his hair fondly as he pulled out of the hug.  
“My apologies, mother, I just landed.”

So his wings disappeared and Persephone was able to see her son more properly. The wings he and his brother had were apart of them, yes, but they also distracted the eye, and Persephone liked to see her sons as they had been growing up - before they had taken on the official duties from their father that necessitated them to take a different form.  
“How fares the upper world?”  
“You were just there, you know as well as I!”  
“Ahh, but my information is at least a month old and you know how fast the tide of war can change.”  
Hypnos actually laughed at that - his laugh was as rich as his father’s, and Persephone was pleased to know that Hypnos laughed much more than his father.  
“Mother, there has not been a change in the Trojan War in nearly eight years.”

Persephone had to laugh herself; that was true enough. These mortals were oddly defensive about the Spartan queen.

But then, Olympus had waged war for her own return, all those centuries ago.  
“Come,” Persephone smiled, placing her hand on her son’s back, “you have yet to greet your father.”

***

Entrance to the throne room of the Underworld was always a sobering feeling. Persephone had no reason to fear the heart of Erebos’s court. Her own throne was seated in the ebony room. Hypnos had grown up playing with his siblings amongst the thrones and the torches. Regardless of the fond emotions both held, the stark lighting and mirrored floor did enough to make the laughing pair somber. The fact that Hades was holding court as they walked in only sealed the deal.

The doors were closed when they approached. Persephone barely minded them, nodding to the skeletal guards stationed outside. They opened the chamber, straightening in posture at the sight of their queen and prince.  
Persephone waited until the doors were completely opened before striding in, the harsh torchlight glinting off her crown and the hair it was nestled in. Her wheat-colored locks looked blood red in the lighting; Hypnos’s darker hair absorbed the lighting.  
He had arranged himself behind her, as was tradition. The god of sleep was only the second eldest, after all. 

Hades rose from his throne when he saw it was Persephone entering. His mouth curved ever-so-slightly. Everyone in the Underworld knew that their Lord was fond of his Lady, but knowing was one thing. Seeing the taciturn and fear-inspiring Lord of the Dead kiss his wife enthusiastically was another.  
The smile could not be restrained when he saw Hypnos enter behind her. The younger twin had been gone to the mortal world for some time, and his laughing presence (as well as his abilities at keeping Macaria entertained) had been sorely missed.  
Persephone curtsied slightly before taking her place on the throne next to her husband. Hypnos approached the thrones of his parents and kneeled, dipping his head in reverence to his father.  
“Rise, Hypnos,” Hades greeted, his smile still evident in his voice though banished from his face. Then, glancing around and speaking to the rest of the court, “We will reconvene tomorrow. Thank you all for your input and service.”

As the chthonic court filed out, Hypnos stood and smiled crookedly at his father. Hades waited for the door to the throne room to finally shut before he rose and embraced his son.  
Persephone viewed the scene with a smile. Much like his restraint to her in front of his subjects, her husband showed little partiality to his children outside of the family, but his love went deeper than perhaps any god held for their offspring.  
“Welcome home, Hypnos.”  
“Thank you, Father.”

Hades drew back and, clapping his hand on Hypnos’s back, he beckoned Persephone down. She obliged, gathering her skirts and joining the pair at the foot of the dais.  
“Come! We will gather your siblings and finally have your mother’s welcoming feast.”

Hypnos started to speak, and then drew up short.

“...You postponed it for me?”  
“Your mother insisted when she returned and found you away from home. It has always been a family affair.”

The god of sleep decided that he would not get a better opportunity to talk to his parents alone and in a timely fashion, so he drew up a large breath and started on his spiel.  
“While I was above, Hera beckoned me to work for her again. At first I resisted, because the last time I aided her in a quest against the Lord Zeus, only his affection for my mother saved me from his wrath. Lady Hera...she offered me Pasithea as my wife.”

Persephone gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Her surprise over his news eclipsed the surprise of the complete tangent he had veered off on - Hypnos had long since admired the Charity. The two had been playmates when they were young on Olympus and their friendship had lasted well into their adulthood. He had confessed his feelings to his mother, and the two had started devising plans to get Hera’s approval for her daughter to wed a son of Hades.  
It seemed that Hera had plans of her own, and for one time in her immortal life, they coincided with everyone else’s.

“Zeus knows nothing of my part in the deception. Most of my absence for the past few months was largely hiding around the mortal world, should he find out, but it seems to have past. Things are back to normal. Hera, however, has repeatedly assured me that she will uphold her end of the deal.”  
Hypnos let out the rest of his breath, squaring his shoulders and looking his father in the eye. The two were nearly the same height, by now, with Hades only a hair or two taller than his second son. Hypnos was all gangly, immortal youth; Hades was the epitome of a mature Greek man.  
“I would like to request permission to wed Pasithea, daughter of Hera. The wedding would be as soon as is convenient for my father. I cannot tell you where we would settle, as we have not discussed itvg, but my wish would be to remain in Erebos. We would likely need to take frequent trips above, as my intended is used to Olympus and the islands-”  
Hades put a hand on Hypnos’s cheek. The younger god’s voice faltered and his bravado melted away. The Ruler of the Underworld cupped his son’s cheek, remembering when the boy was a babe - smaller than his brother, a surprise to the both of them, and destined to always been in Thanatos’s shadow.  
“Will she make you happy?”  
“I - I truly believe so.”  
“Do you love each other?”  
“Dearly. Ever since childhood.”  
“Then I give my hearty consent, my son. You and your bride will always be welcome in this palace, and if you chose to settle elsewhere, then I understand the necessity for you and your wife to make your home wherever you need to.”  
“...Thank you. Thank you, father, thank you-”

Hypnos hugged the bearded man with as much vigor as he had hugged his mother upon his arrival to the Underworld. Persephone wiped away the tears she hadn’t realized formed hastily, rushing to embrace her son as well. Hades positioned himself so that he was holding both Hypnos and Persephone, and though the trio soon broke apart, Persephone was still wiping at her face when they did.  
“Persephone, have the cooks order a feast - both in celebration of your return and of our son’s impending engagement.”  
“Father, I would like to actually propose before celebrating.”  
“...Very well. A belated return feast only, then.”

***

The feast went as planned, and while it wasn’t a direct celebration of Hypnos and Pasithea, his siblings were made aware of the situation, and Melinoe and Marcia were more than pleased that they would be gaining another sister to even out the ratio.  
Of course, when Thanatos and Zagreus finally wed - or Melinoe and Marcia themselves - it would unbalance again, but for now, the male-female balance would actually, well, balance.

***

It was barely a week later when Hypnos would officially propose to Pasithea. She accepted, laughing with her usual caprice, and the wedding was scheduled for later in the month. 

Her mother wouldn’t stomach the thought of a wedding in Erebos, of course. Hypnos was largely regarded as the charming one of all of Hades’ children, but the god of sleep had still been raised in the world of the dead, and he was very proud of his family - particularly his father.  
Hypnos would deny it to his final breath, but even as he kissed Pasithea in between talking to guests, watching the other Olympians squirm around Hades and his family was almost his favorite memory from his wedding.

Almost. 

**~FIN~**


End file.
